Stocking.



NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

STOCKING.

$IEECI33ICA1ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 667,141, datedJanuary 29, 1901.

Original application filed March 13, 1900, Serial No. 8,489. Divided andthis application filed September 1. 1900- Serial No.

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX SARFERT, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tubular-Knitted Fabrics,which improvement in fully set forth in the following specification andaccompanying drawings.

My invention consists of a tubular-knitted fabric, such as a stocking,provided on its interior surface with fibers forming nap or lint, whilesubstantially every portion of the fibers forming the nap or lint on itsouter surface has been removed for the purpose of imparting to suchexterior surface of a tubular-knitted fabric a fine luster and finishthat are termed and resemble a silk or lisle finish, this applicationbeing a division of an application for patent for a process for giving asilk or lisle finish to hosiery or knit goods, filed March 13, 1900,Serial No. 8,489; and I do not therefore claim in this application theprocess described and claimed therein.

For convenience and directness I will in the following description usethe term stocking when referring to a tubular-knitted fabric, the samebeing an apt example.

I have found that if the fine nap or lint present upon the exteriorsurface of a stocking-for instance a cotton stocking-is removedthat isto say, substantially every portion thereofthe finish or surface of thesame is such that it resembles a silk or lisle finish, which obviouslyimproves the appearance and enhances the value of the stocking. This napor lint which detracts from the appearance or finish of the stockingconsists of the fine ends or fibers that project from the thread andwhich alone are almost imperceptible; butthe knitted fabric brings thesefine ends or fibers together and forms a nap or lint, and the effect oftheirclose congregation becomes apparent on the exterior surface of astocking by reason of the fact that they prevent the threads fromstanding out clear, as in a lisle-thread or silk stocking; or, in otherwords, these fibers on the thread, which by themselves are practicallyimperceptible, deaden the appearance of the stocking and obscure thefine lines of said thread in the knitted fabric. As it is only toimprove the (No specimens.)

appearance of a stocking that the nap or lint is removed from itsexterior surface, it is obvious that it is unobjectionable on theinterior surface, and it is not only unobjectionable on its interiorsurface, but it is not desired to remove this nap or lint from theinterior surface, as it makes the interior surface of the stockingsmooth and soft and enhances rather than detracts from its wearingqualities. In producing my improved article of manufacture, therefore, Isinge only the exterior face or surface thereof to remove substantiallyevery portion of this nap or lint projecting outwardly from the threadcomposing the stocking. This leaves the exposed sides of the threadclean and smooth, without affecting other portions thereof, andconsequently gives to the stocking a smooth finish and fine surface andluster resembling a silk or lisle finish, for, as before set forth, thefine lines of the thread are not obscured.

In my said application for a process for treating hosiery I have setforth the manner in which the singeing process can be""most effectuallyaccomplished, and which consists in treating the hosiery before singeingso that the nap or lint can be more effectually removed when thestocking is singedfor instance, by first saturating the stockings whenWhite or in their natural condition in a solution consisting of thefollowing ingredients, namely: chlorid of soda or chlorid of potash, onepound; blue-stone, one-half pound, and anilin salt or anilin oil, fouror five pounds, said solution being known as an anilinblack solution andbeing the first step in a process of dyeing goods fast black. Aftercomplete saturation the stockings are dried in the atmosphere and arepassed through a singeing-machine while stretched on a board or form.During the passage of the stocking through the singeing-machinesubstantially every portion of the nap or lint is removed from theexterior surface, as before referred to. After singeing, the goods arefinished, the finisher or finishing agent being, for instance, chrome ofsoda or chrome of potash, this being the concluding step in a process ofdyeing goods fast black.

It is manifest that by a mechanical treatment-namely, by attrition-it ispossible to remove some portions of the nap or lint from the exteriorsurface; but such treatment not only also removes the nap or lint fromthe interior surface of the stockings, but weakens the threads, with theconsequence that the strength of the stocking is materially affected, sothat the article produced in this manner does not possess the desiredstrength and wearing qualities. Also in a combined chemical andmechanical treatment it is found that the length of time necessary tosubject the goods to the mechanical treatment is such that the threadsare weakened by the chemicals and the strength and wearing qualities ofthe stockings further impaired. The strength of a stocking that has beensinged, however, is not affected. It retains its original and desiredwearing qualities, but does not have the objectionable nap or lint onits exterior face. The threads of the singed stocking possess the samestrength, but have none of the nap or lint on their exposed sides. Thestocking is consequently of the usual strength, but the appearance ofthe threads is not deadened, and they stand out clearly and distinctly,presenting a clean and smooth appearance, and thus impart to thestocking the fine'surface and luster known as a silk or lisle finish.

Another and important advantage possessed by a stocking having a singedexterior surface is that it improves the dye. For instance, upon acomparison of two stockings, one of which has been singed and both ofwhich have been dyed fast black by the same process and with preciselythe same solutions, the singed stocking is a deeper and clearer blackand of finer appearance. Thus it is seen that a singed stocking not onlyhas the silk or lisle finish, which is due to the absence of lint or napon its exterior surface, but it presents a deeper black and theappearance of a better dye, both of which manifestly increase the valueof the stocking.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As an improved article of manufacture, a stocking, the outer surfaceof which has been singed, whereby substantially every portion of the napor lint is removed.

2. A tubular knitted fabric, such as astocking, provided with fibers onits interior surface forming nap or lint, and having its exteriorsurface singed, whereby substantially every portion of the fibersforming the nap 'or lint is removed therefrom.

3. A tubular knitted fabric, such as a stocking, having a singedexterior surface, whereby a silk or lisle finish is imparted thereto.

MAX SARFERT.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, HARRY COBB KENNEDY.

